LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12 - Gary Webb, a reporter who won national attention with a series of articles, later discredited, linking the Central Intelligence Agency to the spread of crack . "[64] Webb's longest response to the controversy was in "The Mighty Wurlitzer Plays On," a chapter he contributed to an anthology of press criticism: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, If we had met five years ago, you wouldn't have found a more staunch defender of the newspaper industry than me And then I wrote some stories that made me realize how sadly misplaced my bliss had been. "They tried to make us look like crazies," says Blum. Ross was a major drug dealer in Los Angeles. On Dec. 9, 2004, the 49-year-old Gary Stephen Webb, Pulitzer prize-winning US investigative journalist, typed out suicide notes to his ex-wife and his three children; he laid out a certificate for his cremation; he taped a note on the door telling movers - who were coming the next morning to move him out of his rental house near Sacramento - to He said: 'No. [7] After transferring to Northern Kentucky, he entered its journalism program and wrote for the school paper, The Northerner. The February 2000 report by the House Intelligence Committee in turn considered the book's claims as well as the series' claims. Because Blandn cooperated with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), he spent only 28 months in prison, became a paid government informant, and received permanent resident status. He was assigned to its Sacramento bureau, where he was allowed to choose most of his own stories. After examining the investigations and prosecutions of the main figures in the series, Blandn, Meneses and Ross, it concluded that "Although the investigations suffered from various problems of communication and coordination, their successes and failures were determined by the normal dynamics that affect the success of scores of investigations of high-level drug traffickers These factors, rather than anything as spectacular as a systematic effort by the CIA or any other intelligence agency to protect the drug trafficking activities of Contra supporters, determined what occurred in the cases we examined. It also examined "how CIA handled and responded to information regarding allegations of drug trafficking" by people involved in Contra activities or support. And this is not a happy story - or," she adds, "a little one.". Webb resigned from The Mercury News in December 1997. Every year since investigative journalist Gary Webb took his own life in 2004, I have marked the anniversary of that sad event by recalling the debt that American history owes to Webb for his. ", "Reporter's suicide confirmed by coroner", "Repercussions From Flawed News Articles", "Herhold: Thinking back on journalist Gary Webb and the CIA", Ex-L.A. Times Writer Apologizes for "Tawdry" Attacks, "Gary Webb was no journalism hero, despite what 'Kill the Messenger' says", "Jeremy Renner's 'Kill the Messenger' Gets Fall Release Date", The CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy: A Review of the Justice Department's Investigations and Prosecutions, United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Report of Investigation Concerning Allegations of Connections Between CIA and The Contras in Cocaine Trafficking to the United States, Central Intelligence Agency Office of the Inspector General, United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, "Secrecy, Conspiracy, and the Media During the CIA-Contra Affair", Freeway Rick Ross: The Untold Autobiography, "Inside the Dark Alliance: Gary Webb on the CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion", 'A NATURAL STORY': Tribute to 'Dark Alliance' and Journalist Gary Webb, San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center, Archive of Gary Webb stories at Sacramento News and Review, "Frontline: Cocaine, Conspiracy Theories & the C.I.A. According to the report, the Inspector-General's office (OIG) examined all information the agency had "relating to CIA knowledge of drug trafficking allegations in regard to any person directly or indirectly involved in Contra activities." It noted that Blandn and Meneses claimed to have donated money to Contra sympathizers in Los Angeles, but found no information to confirm that it was true or that the agency had heard of it. "Gary was given the choice of relocating either to San Jose," says Bell, "or to Cupertino". Because the gentile (european caucasian, lepers, fake jews) or white folks agenda has always been to destroy the black man, ever since pharaoh tried to murder Christ by murdering Hebrew babies, until now. A perceptive, engaging woman of 48, she has turned an adjoining study into a small shrine to her late husband, who would have celebrated his 50th birthday five weeks ago. Part of what makes OConnors article so compelling are the candid thoughts of Webbs former wife Sue Stokes. "Like enjoy it.". This emotive last phrase refers to Webb's experience in the immediate aftermath of publication of his three lengthy articles, in the summer of 1996. In addition, Gary left multiple suicide notes to family members which were confirmed to be in his own hand by them. I mean - please.". The series examined the origins of the crack cocaine trade in Los Angeles and claimed that members of the anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua had played a major role in creating the trade, using cocaine profits to finance their fight against the government in Nicaragua. Bell and her children helped Webb prepare 50 packages containing cuttings and his CV which they sent out to newspapers all over the US. "You do not understand the power of these people," he adds, referring to the US intelligence services. This support "was not directed by anyone within the Contra movement who had an association with the CIA," and the Committee found "no evidence that the CIA or the Intelligence Community was aware of these individuals support. Both sides were left angry and disappointed. The consensus, insofar as one exists, is that he probably overstated both the amount of drug money made by Ross and Blandn, and the percentage of those profits diverted to the Contras. Gary Webb, (born August 31, 1955, Corona, California, U.S.died December 10, 2004, Carmichael, California), American investigative journalist who wrote a three-part series for the San Jose Mercury News in 1996 on connections between the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the U.S.-backed Contra army seeking to overthrow Nicaragua's leftist The first effect of the onslaught was to ease the pressure on the CIA. *, 'Dark Alliance: The CIA, The Contras and the Crack Cocaine Explosion' is published in the UK by Seven Stories Press, priced 11.99, Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. He was preceded in death by his wife, Melody Webb; parents and three brothers, Albert, Duane and Ronald. He was born Sept.10, 1957 in Willcox, Ariz. to RG Webb and Winnie Mae Shelton. Famously known by the Family name Gary Stephen Webb, was a great Engineer.He was born on August 31, 1955, in Carmichael, California.Carmichael is a beautiful and populous city located in Carmichael, California United States of America.. Gary Webb Early Life Story, Family Background and Education. At the end of March, Ceppos told Webb that he was going to present the internal review findings in a column. He began his career working for newspapers in Kentucky and Ohio, winning numerous awards, and building a strong reputation for investigative writing. Attorneys' Offices. Few reporters I've known could match his nose for an investigative story. Meneses, an established smuggler and a Contra supporter as well, taught Blandn how to smuggle and provided him with cocaine. The series follows the stories of several characters whose lives are fated to intersect including CIA operative Teddy McDonald who helps to secure guns for the Contras. "Ross," his report went on, dealt "on a scale never before conceived," with "a staggering turnover" of "50 to 100 kilos of cocaine a day". "I believe that Americans, as a nation, are mainly concerned with living their happy little lives. Webb, whose plans to become a journalist had begun when he was 13, but never included equine death notices, resigned from the Mercury News a few months later. Ceppos initially defended Webb, and reportedly showed up at an in-house party wearing a military helmet. The first article, by Katz, developed a different picture of the origins of the crack trade than "Dark Alliance" had described, with more gangs and smugglers participating. He was laid off in February 2004 when Assembly Member Fabian Nez was elected Speaker. Webb had become, as somebody put it, "radioactive". He was born August 27, 1968 in Saginaw, Michigan to Taylor Jr. and Loretta Webb. Webb put in a call to Robert Parry. After Webb's death, a collection of his stories from before and after the "Dark Alliance" series was published. When they married, she was aged just 21. Gary Webb was born in Corona, California, in 1955. I felt weak and distressed; the whole thing was so fresh. His. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department began its own investigation into the "Dark Alliance" claims.[30]. When I first heard the news, I tell Bell, I was inclined to believe the conspiracy theories that still proliferate on the internet, suggesting that Webb had been assassinated - either by one of the drug dealers he'd met while writing Dark Alliance, or by the intelligence services who were supposed to police them. In 1986, Webb wrote an article saying that the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, Frank D. Celebrezze accepted contributions from groups with organized crime connections. Gary Webb passed away on March 2, 2019. Join iconic brands and world-class marketing leaders at Brandweek to unlock powerful insights and impact-driven strategies. He then transferred to nearby Northern Kentucky University. The collection, The Killing Game: Selected Stories from the Author of Dark Alliance, was edited by Webb's son, Eric. The reports rejected the series's main claims but were critical of some CIA and law enforcement actions. He died by suicide on December 10, 2004. Although Blandn's cartel was undoubtedly one of the first to bring crack to LA, Webb was almost certainly suffering a rush of blood when he described the group as "the first pipeline" into the city. "[72] California Representative Maxine Waters, who was Webb's strongest supporter in Congress after the "Dark Alliance" controversy broke, issued a statement after Webb's death calling him "one of the finest investigative journalists that our country has ever seen. As it turned out," she adds, "that was not their intent.". [71] "The way he was acting it would be hard for me to believe it was anything but suicide," she said. He leaves behind the love of his life and adoring wife of 41 years, Anne Michelle Phillips. ", In contrast, the series received support from Steve Weinberg, a former executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors. "To get back at his editors?". margin-top: 10px; . Much of the article highlighted the failure of law enforcement agencies to successfully prosecute them and stated that this was largely due to their Contra and CIA connections. Born January 3rd, 1943 in Montreal, Quebec, he was the son of the late John Douglas Webb and the late Jeannie (Penny) Hardie Penman. The new movie Kill the Messenger, based in part on a 2006 book by a former student of mine, eulogizes Webb . He became an investigator for the California State Legislature, published a book based on the "Dark Alliance" series in 1998, and did freelance investigative reporting. When he was engaged, he worked hard. They were outraged by the series's charges.[27]. To Read the Full Story Become an Adweek+ Subscriber. "Allow Gary Webb to be there [in the CIA investigation]," a heckler shouts. Celebrezze eventually sued the Plain Dealer and won an undisclosed out of court settlement. It's . Many writers discussing the series point to errors in it. The truth was that, in all those years, I hadn't written anything important enough to suppress. When Gary originally broke this mind blowing story, the arrogant authority's assumed they could simply ignore him and hope he'd go away. [32], The New York Times published two articles on the series in mid-October, both written by reporter Tim Golden. His death was ruled a suicide by the Sacramento County coroner's office. that the "federal government bore some responsibility, however indirect, for the flood of crack that coursed through black neighborhoods in the 1980s"). I remain astounded by the editorial decisions they made.". It concluded, however, that these problems were "a far cry from the type of broad manipulation and corruption of the federal criminal justice system suggested by the original allegations.". Webb, one of the boldest and most outstanding reporters of his generation, was the journalist who, in 1996, established the connection between the CIA and major drug dealers in Los Angeles, some of whose profits had been channelled to fund the Contra guerrilla movement in Nicaragua. border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd; But the report was correct. By 1997, Bell tells me, Webb - whose 30-year career had earned him more awards than there is room for in her study - had been reassigned to the Mercury News's office in Cupertino. [46] Overholser was harshly critical of the series, "reported by a seemingly hotheaded fellow willing to have people leap to conclusions his reporting couldn't back up." Webb disagreed with this conclusion.[1][2]. The drugs went to South Central LA. Gary Douglas Webb of Radnor, PA, passed away on October 19, 2021 Born January 3rd, 1943 in Montreal, Quebec, he was the son of the late John Douglas Webb and the late Jeannie (Penny) Hardie. But they underestimated the paradigm shifting power of the internet, and the intelligence of Webb, who not only listed the explosive story online . [56] He resigned from the paper in November 1997. In the column, Ceppos defended parts of the article, writing that the series had "solidly documented" that the drug ring described in the series did have connections with the Contras and did sell large quantities of cocaine in inner-city Los Angeles. The CIA admits used the media to ruin his career. Can these things possibly be? Ceppos failed to reply to one phone message and six emails. I'm glad that I didn't dissuade him, because it was important to get the truth out but for Gary Webb, there was a very high price to pay." Jeremy Renner as Gary Webb How Kill the Messenger Will Vindicate Investigative Journalist Gary Webb Melinda Welsh September 29, 2014 This one has all the ingredients of a dreamed-up Hollywood. The couple got married recently in November of 2020 after dating for some time. Webb, a Pullitzer prize winning journalist, exposed CIA drug trafficking operations in a series of books and reports for the San Jose Mercury News. Age 43 years. It found that Blandn received permanent resident status "in a wholly improper manner" and that for some time the Department "was not certain whether to prosecute Meneses, or use him as a cooperating witness." According to the report's "Epilogue," the report was completed in December 1997 but was not released because the DEA was still attempting to use Danilo Blandn in an investigation of international drug dealers and was concerned that the report would affect the viability of the investigation. [81], Peter Kornbluh, a researcher at George Washington University's National Security Archives, also does not agree that the report vindicated the series. [18], Webb began researching "Dark Alliance" in July 1995. One time he called me and he said: 'I have this plan that will benefit us both.' By Sam Stanton Bee Staff Writer Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, December 15, 2004. . Cooper and Mariah were engaged before they finally tied the knot. A January 1997 article in American Journalism Review noted that a 1994 series Webb wrote had also been the subject of a Mercury News internal review that criticized Webb's reporting. "If there was an eye to the storm," Katz wrote, "if there was a mastermind behind crack's decade-long reign, if there was one outlaw most responsible for flooding LA's streets with mass-marketed cocaine, his name was Freeway Rick. [8] In 1979, Webb married Susan Bell; the couple eventually had three children. There has been speculation that he may have met with foul play because he had received two gunshot wounds to the head, The Sacramento Bee reported Wednesday. The Department of Justice Inspector-General's report was released on July 23, 1998. According to Walt Bogdanich, a former colleague on the Plain Dealer who has won two Pulitzers and now works for The New York Times, Webb was the best retriever of information from public records he has ever seen. "[77], Webb's reporting in "Dark Alliance" remains controversial. While working at the legislature, Webb continued to do freelance investigative reporting, sometimes based on his investigative work. We are in the living room of Bell's house just outside Sacramento, California. Nobody who heads a government agency can let such an allegation stand.". Gary Stephen Webb was a Pulitzer prize winning American investigative reporter who exposed cocaine trafficking by the CIA.He wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, which initially backed his articles but later dropped him.Webb was put under pressure most certainly from the CIA under John Deutch for his reporting. [60], It found no information to support the claim that the agency interfered with law enforcement actions against Ross, Blandn or Meneses. Gary Webb, friends say, was a far more combative character than either the Mercury News's executive editor Ceppos or page editor Garcia. And yet, for all his Easy Rider tendencies, he was also a dedicated family man with an extraordinary appetite for researching minutiae. To show this, the series focused on three men: Ricky Ross, Oscar Danilo Blandn, and Norwin Meneses. Then, on 10 December, he resigned. And the importance of exposing them. ", "After Gary died," she says, "a reporter from the LA Times came here. Shortly before his death, his motorcycle had been stolen (it was recovered by his family after his death). It sounds like a Tom Clancy novel, right? Vivian Corrie, a part of his liver in a life-threatening operation. padding-left: 10px!important; He received his medical degree from American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than. My wife has kept me grounded for . This is why Webb's "Dark Alliance" series is an essential source, a primary text that every journalism student should study. "[25] It also found disparities in the treatment of Black and White traffickers in the justice system, contrasting the treatment of Blandn and Ross after their arrests for drug trafficking. Gary E. Webb, a dedicated husband, dad, pappy, coach, mentor, teacher, supporter, hero, and best friend, was called home by the Lord while surrounded by family. Webb joined the Mercury News in 1988, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. In 1996, the award-winning journalist Gary Webb uncovered CIA links to Los Angeles drug dealers. "He walked in one day," Bell recalls, "and said, 'You are not going to believe what I just found out.' Thank you." So he blew her off. [4] When Webb's father retired from the Marines, the family settled in a suburb of Indianapolis, where Webb and his brother attended high school. After a local newspaper reported that Webb had died from multiple gunshots, the coroner's office received so many calls asking about Webb's death that Sacramento County Coroner Robert Lyons issued a statement confirming Webb had died by suicide. [37], In 2013, Jesse Katz, a former Los Angeles Times reporter, said of the newspaper's coverage "As an L.A. Times reporter, we saw this series in the San Jose Mercury News and kind of wonder[ed] how legit it was and kind of put it under a microscope, and we did it in a way that most of us who were involved in it, I think, would look back on that and say it was overkill. But as Krim told Webb's biographer Nick Schou, "The zeal that helped make Gary a relentless reporter was coupled with an inability to question himself, to entertain the notion that he might have erred. [59], The first volume of the report found no evidence that "any past or present employee of CIA, or anyone acting on behalf of CIA, had any direct or indirect dealing" with Ross, Blandn, or Meneses or that any of the other figures mentioned in "Dark Alliance" were ever employed by or associated with or contacted by the agency. Who Is Gary Webb's Wife? His corpse was discovered on the seventh anniversary of his resignation from the Mercury News. Investigative journalist Gary Webb wrote a series of stories in 1996 for the San Jose Mercury News that documented the US-government-backed Contra insurgents' drug pipeline into Los Angeles. "I am scared," the voice replies. That wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been willing to stand up and risk it all.". When it did, beginning with The Washington Post, it shocked Webb's critics as much as his many admirers. Garcia is deputy director of the John S Knight Fellowships in Journalism at Stanford University. His career ended, his livelihood was destroyed and certain games were started to be . [33] Golden also referred to the controversy over Webb's contacts with Ross's lawyer. Watkins and Debbie (John) Foutch; grandchildren, Makenzie and Ashlynn Fogg. He died on December 10, 2004 in Carmichael, California, USA. The "Dark Alliance" series remains controversial. [28] Maxine Waters, the representative for California's 35th district, which includes South-Central Los Angeles, was also outraged by the articles and became one of Webb's strongest supporters. To pay off his mounting debts, Webb sold the Carmichael property, where he was living alone, and arranged to move in with his mother. On one road trip, in 2001, he came off the motorcycle and split his helmet open. "Look at what happened to Gary Webb. But the biggest loss he had was the writing. The feeling was that with other news outlets calling for Webb's head, the paper's credibility depended on their joining in on the attacks. Noting that most of the activities discussed in the report had nothing to do with the people Webb reported on, Kornbluh told Schou, "I can't say it's a vindication. [50] By January, Webb filed drafts of four more articles based on his trip, but his editors concluded that the new articles would not help shore up the original series's claims. Baca claimed that a drug dealer with close links to the CIA had framed her boyfriend, who was also in the cocaine business. Gary-Webb TL, Walker EA, Realmuto L, Kamler A, Lukin J, Tyson W, Carrasquillo O, Weiss L. Translation of the National Diabetes Prevention Program to Engage Men in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods in New York City: A Description of Power Up for Health. Tara Becker-Gray Lee News Network Jan 17, 2019 0 1 of 2 C. Webb The body found at a house fire at 13308 95th Ave. in rural Blue Grass on Thursday night has been identified as Cynthia Webb, 59.. Attend in Miami or virtually, Sept. 1114. Webb undeniably made mistakes of detail and emphasis in the newspaper version of "Dark Alliance". 2) The series's estimate of the money involved was presented as fact instead of as an estimate. Webb's corpse was found in the bedroom, with two gunshot wounds to the head.